After the frenetic activity of last week the new week started off with a look at what’s to come in the week ahead. On seeing what the first day of the new week holds, Jam Sessions at a number of venues around town. Why the Jam session has become synonymous with Monday Nights fails my understanding, can anyone enlighten me at all? It is my simple held view that a good, well-arranged and organised Jam Session can happen any night of the week or time, right? Enough of the editorialising, you see I took the decision to take my sorry old butt to one of these very shindigs.

Dan Shout

Well-known highly motivated bandleader, teacher, recording artist, promoter and Saxophonist Daniel Shout, Esquire has been running one of these Monday night events very successfully for quite a while now. To my shame, though invited numerous times, I have not yet paid a visit to the Lyra’s in Rondebosh, so by mutual agreement I arranged to meet our Webetor (web site editor) Carol Martin at the venue for an evening of jazz. On arrival meeting the manager who with her smile gave a welcome feeling as a first time visitor to the venue. The Monday Jam Session kicked of the first set with the house band of Andrew Ford, Keys – Romy Brauteseth, Double Bass – Jonno Sweetman, Drums and led so ably by Dan Shout from behind his Tenor Sax.

Special guest on the night was UK based Alto Sax player and Vocalist AJ Brown. A kickass first set it was too, and AJ had a table of cougars really in the front row the butt shuffle, arm waving chair dance. The management also told me that they had a few regulars who have permanently booked tables every Monday for the Jam Session at Lyra’s, not a bad testament to the nights entertainment. The Jam was efficiently executed and controlled by host Dan keeping the music and musicians flowing with reasonable precision all in all a really enjoyable evening of showcasing the rising and future jazz stars of tomorrow. If one has not visited Lyra’s before make a booking now for next Monday. The Klutz in the Kitchen is writing a review on the meal we had, go read it on the website,